Usually when people think of Walt Disney World vacations, they think of high energy, running from one attraction to the next, trying to fit as much as possible into a short amount of time. With so much to do, how could you possibly find time to relax? However, there is at least one place in WDW where it is quite easy to relax, forgetting about all the exciting adventures that surround you - the Fort Wilderness Campground.

The Fort Wilderness sign at the entrance

Fort Wilderness, which opened one month after the Magic Kingdom in November 1971, occupies over 700 acres. It is much different from most campgrounds, which have just a few trees scattered about, providing very little shade. Fort Wilderness is heavily populated with trees - mostly pines and oaks, especially between the campsites, providing a feeling of isolation that isn't found at standard campgrounds. Of course, Fort Wilderness is also much larger than most campgrounds, boasting almost 800 campsites, which are divided up into separate loops. If you don't have a tent or a camper, Fort Wilderness also has over 400 Wilderness Homes, which were originally mobile homes, but have recently been replaced by cabins, which seem to fit the rustic theme. But Fort Wilderness is more than just a big campground; you can always find lots of things to do.

The road to Fort Wilderness is a little busier than it used to be, with the addition of the Wilderness Lodge and the Bonnet Creek Golf Club, but it is still a bit off the beaten path. Upon arriving, guests check in at the Reception Outpost, a large log structure, where they are assigned their campsite and given a map, as well as other basic, yet necessary, information. Guests then proceed to their campsite and start to make themselves at home. All campsites, except the tent sites, have the basic water and electricity, as well as a picnic table; most campsites also have a sewer hookup. Near each camping loop are comfort stations, which have restrooms with showers, a laundry, and telephones.

Pioneer Hall, home to the Hoop-De-Doo Revue

To me, the most relaxing time at Fort Wilderness is during the day, after most people have gone to the parks. Once the main crowds are gone, you can spend your day exploring the campground, enjoying the many activities they have to offer. Swimming is always a popular activity. For many years, the beach at Bay Lake was the only place to swim; two pools were added in the late 1980s to expand the swimming options. Of course, River Country, Disney's first water park, is right next to the campground at the beach. Also near the beach is the Wilderness Swamp Trail. While many may not find a boardwalk through the swamp that exciting, I always thoroughly enjoyed it, perhaps because you feel even more removed from the civilized world. To me, the swamp trail gives a glimpse of how the whole area must have been before people started developing it.

The Contemporary Resort and the Magic Kingdom as seen from the swamp trail

Also near the beach is the Tri-Circle D Ranch, the home of the horses used throughout WDW. The most famous residents are the Percherons and Belgians that pull the Main Street Trolleys at the Magic Kingdom. You can visit these horses in their stalls, and occasionally watch the farrier work on their shoes nearby. Adjacent to the ranch is a petting farm, with all sorts of animals just waiting for some attention. If you want to ride a horse, horseback riding is available at the other end of the campground. There, horses take riders through trails in the woods. The pace is slow, making for a very relaxing ride.

A themed trashcan at the petting farm

When staying there, we would always request the 1400 loop, named Big Bear/ Little Bear; this just happened to be the loop we stayed in on our first trip, and we enjoyed it so much that we requested it every time after that. Just a short walk from the 1400 loop is the Meadow Trading Post, one of two stores at the campground; the Settlement Trading Post is near the beach. The trading posts carry a small selection of grocery items, as well as some WDW souvenirs. One reason we liked the 1400 loop was that it was served by trams. Because of the size, Fort Wilderness has its own internal transportation; during the 1980s, the transportation was either by bus or tram. The open-air trams were the same as the ones used in the parking lots to take guests to the entrance. These seemed to accommodate many more people than the buses, and I guess they were also different than something you see at home. Anyway, in the 1990s, the trams were replaced by more buses for whatever reason.

One of the trams used for internal transportation

And speaking of transportation, during the first few years of Fort Wilderness, steam trains were also available to take guests around the campground. The engines were much smaller than the trains of the Magic Kingdom, but the passenger cars had the same type of open-air design. These trains were removed after a few years, but the tracks and trestle bridges can still be seen around the campground. If you want to know more about the Fort Wilderness Railroad, I would recommend the book Walt Disney's Railroad Story by Michael Broggie, available from the Carolwood Pacific Historical Society.

Continue to Part 2

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